Performance evaluation of cooperating robot movements using maximum load under time-optimal control

An evaluation is made of the performance of a cooperating robot system using movements planned for minimum time. Minimum-time movements characteristically require that a set of motors in the robot be driven at the maximum torque through the motion. Thus, these movements are limited by the combination of motor performance, mechanical advantage of the kinematic chain, and the location of the start and goal positions. Increasing the payload until a minimum-time solution is no longer feasible makes it possible to obtain the performance limit of the system for the associated path. The cases of two robots working individually and together are examined in order to find the performance enhancement obtained by having two robots cooperate.<<ETX>>